Robert Rodriguez Seems To Have Moved On

Ever since the summer, it’s seemed like Robert Rodriguez was locked in to make what seemed likely to be his first big studio tentpole picture, the Marvel Comics adaptation “Deadpool,” which would see Ryan Reynolds again don the mask of the irreverent super-powered mercenary, who he played, in decidedly watered down form, in the disastrous “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Rodriguez spoke highly of the script (by “Zombieland” scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick), and it looked likely to be the director’s next film after he completed the currently-filming “Spy Kids 4.”

But with the super-busy Reynolds tied up until next summer with body-swap comedy “The Change Up” and spy thriller “Safe House” (and the actor expressing doubts that he’d be able to do both the Marvel picture and Robert Schwentke‘s “R.I.P.D),” word’s been quiet on the project for a little while. Furthermore, Rodriguez suggested recently that his next film after “Spy Kids” was likely to be a sequel to “Sin City,” which would seem to suggest he’d passed on “Deadpool.” The good news today is, according to the LA Times, that the film may have landed a director. The bad, at least for those who are fans of the “From Dusk Til Dawn” director, is that it’s not Rodriguez.

The paper’s 24 Frames blog suggests that Rodriguez is definitely out, and that Swedish newcomer Adam Berg is looking like the most likely name to replace him. Berg’s never made a feature before, but he’s an experienced director of commercials and music videos (for the likes of The Cardigans, A-Ha, Graham Coxon and Idlewild), and rose to fame last year after making a two-minute commercial for Philips called “Carousel.”

That film, which you can watch below, tells the story of a bank heist in a single freeze-framed take (somewhat inspired by “The Dark Knight“), and became something of a viral hit when it was released. Interestingly, and at the risk of a cease-and-desist from the Fox lawyers (who pulled a “Deadpool” script review from Cinema Blend a few weeks back), we’ve read the script, and the opening shot, as scripted, seems to be a direct nod to “Carousel” (as well as, if we were being less generous, to the opening scene of mostly forgotten John Travolta/Hugh Jackman heist actioner “Swordfish“), which may partly explain the reasoning behind Fox wanting Berg.

Whether he’s able to deal with the offbeat, somewhat gonzo fourth-wall-shattering humor of the script as well remains to be seen, but if Berg signs on, we’re at least assured of some impressive visuals in “Deadpool” (assuming the project goes before cameras in the next year, which is by no means a certainty.)